The Sailing Companion

Publisher: Robson Books, 2005 £ 9.99

Here is a little book in the Sailor's Bunkside Companion mould, in other words a miscellany of nautical facts and fancies, and indeed fantasies, without any particular form or structure or overall purpose, to be dipped into rather than read.

This one seeks to present a Victorian flavour with traditional binding, yellowish paper and line engraved illustrations, though much of the subject matter is well up to date.  Plenty of the usual stuff is here, why the sky is red at sunset, the guaranteed cure for seasickness (sit under a tree), and so on, and indeed there is much also that any self respecting sailor should know already like how to read charted information on navigational lights, or how to send a Mayday.  

The success or failure of books of this kind is dependent on how many obscure yet interesting snippits the author can dig up and this one does quite well in this respect.  However much you know about sailing I suspect that you won't have read far before thinking 'Well I'm dashed, I never knew that!'  Altogether this is a nice little volume, a good stocking filler present perhaps for the sailing enthusiast.  -  BMF